SubJeff on 24/1/2008 at 19:48
Quote Posted by Stitch
28 Days Later was excellent up until the third act, at which point it hurls straight down the dumper.
Now how can you and I share such harmonious evaluations of one film, like this, and totally differ on others?
28 Weeks Later had a great prologue, an ok build up and a truly crappy everything else imho. I didn't care about anyone once Robert was gone because they didn't bother fleshing them out. And the plot holes! Oy!
Hi I'm Robert and I can survive mass shootings, firebombs and find my kids by the magic of being under 5' tall and a zombie. Gah! It just had none of the thrill that the first 2/3 of 28 Days had.
Stitch on 24/1/2008 at 21:15
I actually think the last third of 20 Weeks Later had some of the best bits, such as the helicopter scene and the subway nightvision bit.
As for the Robert-as-super-zombie plot device, I can understand why someone wouldn't really feel it worked, but I personally bought it. A consistent zombie "villain" with emotional connection to the protagonists, as implausible as he was, gave the story more narrative focus and weight.
One thing that struck me as stupid was the fact that a zombie somehow just manages to waltz into a locked-down and quarantined room of survivors. GUESS WE MISSED ONE DOOR, GUYS
Morte on 24/1/2008 at 21:31
Quote Posted by Stitch
As for the
Robert-as-super-zombie plot device, I can understand why someone wouldn't really feel it worked, but I personally bought it.
A consistent zombie "villain" with emotional connection to the protagonists, as implausible as he was, gave the story more narrative focus and weight.I understand why they did it, but the fact that they break the rules they've established for the zombies without the least bit of handwaving to justify it is just so goddamn lazy.
If they'd made it ambiguous as to whether it really was him or just a projection of the children's fears it would've been a marked improvement without losing the theme of failing authority figures (as well as justifying having Robert Carlyle prominently billed), but no. It really is a magic reasoning superzombie. Gah.SubJeff on 24/1/2008 at 21:49
You see, I thought that (and frankly, screw these spoilers - the film is old enough now, it's not like it's in cinemas or hasn't been on DVD yet) perhaps he has retained some humanity somehow.
But no, it was a hollow plot device.
I agree that the end was better than the beginning Stitch but frankly I was so bored and disappointed by the massive plot holes already by then that there was no coming back.
And the eye thing was cack handed too. I was almost as bad as Arnie's "He couldn't see me" in Predator.
Stitch on 24/1/2008 at 21:51
Quote Posted by Morte
I understand why they did it, but the fact that they break the rules they've established for the zombies without the least bit of handwaving to justify it is just so goddamn lazy.
What established rules did they break? I'm not being snarky, it's been awhile since I've seen either of the 28 Whatevers Later films.
Morte on 24/1/2008 at 22:35
Quote Posted by Stitch
What established rules did they break? I'm not being snarky, it's been awhile since I've seen either of the 28 Whatevers Later films.
Being capable of anything but unbridled rage against the uninfected, basically.
So we get bits where he just stands and looks at his son instead of madly rushing at him like any normal infected would, because if he did, he'd expose himself to fire and get killed. Apparently Carlyle even explicitly states on the commentary that his zombie "is special and can use reason", but never bothers to explain why.Scots Taffer on 24/1/2008 at 23:19
When I heard that 28 Weeks Later was decent but couldn't top the highs of 28 Days Later which I thought sucked ass (the thirty or so minutes I managed to watch before boredom set in) I decided not to bother.
SubJeff on 24/1/2008 at 23:30
You really didn't like the first 30 minutes? Wow. What was not to like?
Scots Taffer on 24/1/2008 at 23:40
I guess I'm not a zombie movie kind of guy, despite my otherwise great love for Evil Dead and Planet Terror.
Stitch on 25/1/2008 at 07:27
You didn't find the empty London utterly chilling?
